


Cold Hands (But Warm Hearts)

by Ava_The_Stargazer



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas, Connor has a big dorky crush on Kara and she's kind of oblivious, Dad Connor, Early Deviant Connor AU, F/M, Gen, Homelessness, Human Alice, Mom Kara, a tiny happy family, and Daughter Alice, money problems, parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-05-16 19:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14817476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ava_The_Stargazer/pseuds/Ava_The_Stargazer
Summary: Connor and Kara will do anything for this small family they've made.





	1. Snowfall

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so happy to see that this fandom has grown so much in such little time! This is my first fic for DBH and I hope I can write some more! Constructive criticism is welcome!
> 
> Also, your guess on how Connor ended up with Kara and Alice is as good as mine.

It was snowing again.

How long had they been on the run for? Kara doesn’t know. It had to have been at _least_ two weeks. She glances over to where Alice and Connor were sitting. The child is curled into his side, a thick blanket wrapped snugly around her shoulders. The fire she built crackles warmly in front of them, the soft glow illuminating their faces. She looks so comfortable than Kara can’t help but smile.

She makes her way over to the two, her booted feet carefully treading upon the old planks of the house. Connor was skimming some sort of article in an old newspaper- something about a police investigation. His eyes would occasionally flit up from the paper and sweep the room, looking for any sign of danger.

Old habits die hard.

Connor… Connor was a blessing, really. In the few days that he had been with them, he had helped Kara in so many ways, whether it be taking small jobs to get food, carrying Alice when she became too tired, or keeping spirits high. Alice never got tired of that coin trick of his, and neither did Kara, admittedly.

She crouches down next to Connor, a wry smile on her lips. “I think someone likes you.” She whispers, nodding to Alice’s sleeping form.

Connor looks up from his article- first to Kara, then to Alice. The corners of his mouth curve up in a sweet smile. “Yes, I suppose she does.” He pauses for a moment. “Alice fell asleep extremely easily. Is she normally like this?”

Kara lets out a soft laugh, sitting down fully. The floor beneath her hands is dusty, and she internally sighs. Hopefully the dirt will come out better this time.

“Alice is the easiest sleeper I know. She can rest her head on something, and then she’s out,” She mimes snapping her fingers. “just like that. I’m pretty thankful.”

“I can imagine. I don’t have much experience in childcare. Or with children in general.”

Kara smiles. “You’re doing good so far.”

The corners of Connor’s mouth twitches and he almost looks flustered. “Thank you, Kara.”

There’s a long pause and Kara watches the snow fall past the window. It’s a cold night tonight. The fire’s done a good job at fending off the cold, but she’s sure that the temperature’s only going to get worse. She and Connor’s robotic bodies could withstand the bitter cold, but Alice was human. She couldn’t.

“Connor, what are we going to do?”

He’s gazing at her when she asks it, and he looks almost caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

“It’s going to get colder. We need _real_ shelter, not… _this_.” She gestures to the abandoned room. “Alice is going to get sick.”

Connor bites his lip ever so slightly and looks out the window. His brown eyes are overcast. “There’s a shelter a few blocks from here. We could always go there.”

She follows his gaze, watching the street light outside flicker yellow. “Yeah. But what if they discover wha- _who_ we are? What would happen to Alice?”

He’s quiet for a moment. “We’ll avoid getting discovered, then. We won’t get separated from Alice.”

She turns away from the streetlight. “Promise?”

Connor smiles, his hand reaching out to grasp hers. His grip is warm and oddly comforting. Something unique shines in those brown eyes of his as he whispers, so quietly that she’s sure a human would never be able to hear him.

“I promise.”


	2. Elvex

It’s a chilly Tuesday afternoon when Kara and Connor walk to the library to pick up Alice. It had been a rather successful day for job hunting: the two of them had made thirty dollars doing various jobs around the poorer neighborhoods and both of them were in high spirits. Kara's almost certain that they have enough to sleep in a motel tonight, which was a relief. They'd spent too many nights sleeping on the floors of abandoned homes.

A minor winter storm had passed through in the night, leaving everything coated in a generous layer of white. It reminds Kara of those tacky snow globes that she had seen in a gas station once. It shines brightly in the December sun, bright enough that it nearly blinds Kara when she looks at it.

Their boots crunch on the salted sidewalk as a comfortable silence falls between them. Kara wonders what sort of books Alice might be reading, and if she has them in her database. Alice loved books so much, and she knew it broke her heart not being able to take the library books home. The least she could do is tell the stories to Alice when they got home.

She’s internally scanning over all the list of stories when Connor snaps her out of it. He’s just said something, his brown eyes trained on her, eyebrows scrunched together in thought.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I asked, have you ever dreamt before?”

Kara pauses. She doesn’t remember dreaming, yet she feels as if she had must have done it before. “I… I don’t know. Maybe. A long time ago.”

Connor’s eyebrows only scrunch together further. “Alice told me about the dreams she has at night.” He kicks a chip of ice out of their path. “I realized that I myself may be dreaming.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I… experience things. Sights. Sounds.”

Kara looks at him, cocking her head just so. “What do you see?”

Hints of a blush form on his cheekbones. “I, ah- I’m somewhere that’s not...here. It’s a beach, and there’s a lighthouse on a cliff. The ocean stretches on for miles and miles. It’s beautiful.”

It’s Kara’s turn to furrow her brows. “Is that all?”

The other android ducks his head, determined not to make eye contact. “No." There's the slightest bit of a pause before he continues, the blush of his cheeks creeping towards the tips of his ears. "No. You’re there. And so is Alice. We’re playing in the surf, and we’re all safe. We’re laughing. And I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

Kara lets the image play in her mind. Something strong, something she doesn’t know the name of yet, blooms in her chest. She wants that desperately. She’s always wanted to be safe, to be _happy_ with Alice.

And now she wants that with Connor, too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is inspired by the main character of Issac Asimov's short story "Robot Dreams". Also, the beach is based off of a beach on the coast of Prince Edward Island in Canada.


	3. Warmth

Connor talks with Alice one day while Kara is busy in the other room.

She’s got an imaginary tea set (“It’s the fanciest one you’ve ever seen!” Alice says) out and is playing tea party with him, handing an imaginary tea cup over to Connor and bidding him to take a sip.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” He says, nodding and taking a sip from his “cup”. Connor doesn’t really understand why she’s doing this, or how she can see the cups if they’re not real, but he goes along with it because smiles on Alice’s face are a rare sight. If playing tea party can get her to smile, he’d do it a thousand times.

She looks at him excitedly, leaning forwards. “How is it?”

“Fantastic,” Connor says, even though he didn’t taste anything. “What’s the flavor?”

Alice thinks for a moment, biting on her thumbnail. “Hmmm… blueberry.”

Connor refrains from telling Alice that the flavor of her tea is also the name of a cocktail and smiles. “It’s delicious!” He says, taking another sip.

The little girl smooths down her imaginary princess skirt and ducks her head. “Thank you, Mr. Connor. It’s a family recipe.”

Kara appears in the doorway, and although her eyes look tired they still crinkle up in amusement at the two.

“How’s it going in here?” She asks, moving over and crouching down next to the two. That odd sort of feeling that Connor’s been getting around Kara lately returns, and he does a hasty diagnostic scan, just in case.

According to the scan, nothing is wrong. No damage. No viruses. So why does he feel like this? Is there an error in his code? A glitch in his program?

He’s not sure.

Alice is talking to Kara about the tea party when he comes out of the diagnostics.

“And I made blueberry tea, Kara. Connor says it’s really good, will you try some?” He sees Kara’s lips twitch and he realizes that she knows about the cocktail detail as well. Still, she graciously accepts the “cup” and takes a dainty sip, complete with a pinky raised.

“Oh my,” Kara says, shaking her head. “It’s positively scrumptious, Alice. I’d stay for more, but I have to get back to fixing that tear in your coat.” She stands and smooths down Alice’s hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She turns to Connor, setting a hand on his shoulder and lowering her voice. He can feel his heart- well, his thirium pump, technically- beat faster at her touch.

“Once you’re done in here, can you come and help me?” She shoots a glance at Alice. “I have no idea what she did to that coat, and it’s gonna be a little harder fixing it than I thought.”

“Of course, Kara.” He says, praying that she doesn’t see how flustered he is.

“Thank you.” She whispers, shooting him a pearly white smile. She straightens and makes her way to the door.

Alice is quiet for a few seconds, until she’s sure Kara’s gone.

“You like Kara, don’t you?”

Connor blinks incredulously. If his teacup was corporeal, it would have slipped from his grip. “What?”

A grin spreads across the little girl’s face, and she shakes his arms excitedly. “You like her! You like her!”

“O-of course I like her, we’re good friends.”

Alice sighs, leaning her head back as far as it can go. “Not like _that_ , Mr. Connor! You think she’s pretty!”

Well, he supposed Alice was right there. Kara was rather attractive. However, that didn’t mean that he… _liked_ Kara like Alice was suggesting. Connor wasn’t even sure that androids were capable of such an emotion.

“That’s silly, Alice. I’m good friends with Kara, that’s all.”

Alice purses her lips and takes a sip of her tea. It’s quiet for a moment before she talks again.

“You look at Kara like she’s the best thing you’ve ever seen. Like you love her.”

He stops, and swallows thickly, despite nothing blocking his throat. There’s a touch of truth to her words. He mentally scours his dictionary for the definition of love.

 _Love_ _,_ _noun: an intense feeling of deep affection._ _A deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone._

Connor thinks of Kara for a moment.

He thinks of all the times they’ve spent walking the streets together, chatting about everything and nothing. Of the night where he found Kara crying in the bathroom because she heard a car backfiring and it reminded her of that awful night. How she'd sobbed into his shoulder. He remembers the time they danced with Alice until they were all exhausted, and the look of sheer joy on her face. Of the time he told her of his dream of her being by his side, smiling and happy and safe, and how she had beamed when he told her about it.

Yes, he thinks. He does hold a deep affection for Kara.

Connor loves her.

More than anything in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Connor and Alice to get a little more interaction. Alice, that poor baby, deserves so much happiness.  
> A lot of the lines (especially the blueberry line) in Connor and Alice's tea party are based off of memories of when I was little and I'd play tea party with my mom.  
> But yeah, Connor's a lovesick dork. He was just in denial up until this point.


	4. Moonlight

A few days after Kara meets Connor, she can’t find him.

It’s a chilly night when a car alarm goes off in front of the house they’re squatting in. Kara jerks out of sleep mode, scanning the room around her for danger. They aren’t in any sort of trouble, but she’s instantly aware that there’s one less person in the room than she last remembered.

Connor.

She uncurls from around Alice and sits up, running a hand through her short hair. “Connor?” She says, loud as she can without waking Alice, and she hears the slightest bit of movement coming from the direction of the hall.

Kara pushes up from the floor, creeping towards the hallway. “Connor? Is that you?”

No response.

She gropes her way down the hall, feeling for doors. Kara almost wishes that Cyberlife had bothered to program a more advanced form of night vision in her.

She moves her way down the hallway until the peeling wallpaper beneath her fingertips gives way to hard wood. She fumbles for the doorknob and turns it, opening the door.

Moonlight shines through the bathroom window and onto the profile of the android who’s gripping onto the sink like his life depends on it. She can see his face in the mirror, his jaw set tightly, the LED on the side of his forehead flickering red in the pale light. He almost looks like he wants to cry, his dark eyes staring into the mirror with an intensity that she’d rarely seen.

“Connor?” She whispers, and he jumps, something metallic slipping from between his hand and the sink and clattering to the ground. He turns quickly, his eyes wide and almost guilty-looking.

“Connor, it’s just me, Kara.” The other android visibly relaxes at the sound of her voice. He straightens, smoothing down the front of his t-shirt. His LED glows yellow, flickering occasionally.

Kara takes a hesitant step forwards. “What were you doing in here?”

“I was going to try and take off my LED.”  His voice is small when he speaks. “But I couldn’t. It felt like….like I was cutting off my last tie to my old life.”

Kara sighs softly. “I understand. It’s hard to move on from the only thing you’ve ever known.” She stares at him for a moment before moving to pick up the metallic thing on the floor. It’s a knife, probably taken from the kitchen. “But it will be better this way, Connor, I promise.” She puts it in his hand, curling his fingers around the handle. The blade glints in the moonlight, still sharp even after abandonment.

The LED on his temple flickers yellow as he scans his memories. His eyes dart around the room, shining in the light. He takes in a deep breath, as if to steel himself, and then lets it out in a long sigh. “Then help me, Kara." His voice quavers ever so slightly as he speaks.

"Please."

Kara understands what he means as soon as he says it. She takes the knife from his grip and stands him in front of the sink. She the tries to make eye contact with him in the mirror. He simply stares straight ahead, like he wants to burn a hole in his reflection. “Are you ready?”

He gives a curt nod and she hears the skin pull away from around his LED. “You’d better grab the sink. This… isn’t pleasant.” Once he’s put his hands on the enamel bowl, she slips the blade into the groove of the LED and pries.

His knuckles instantly go white as she attempts to remove the small disk. She adjusts her grip and tries again, this time hearing a small ‘click’ before the LED flies off into the sink. A small trickle of blue blood runs down the side of his face.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Connor whispers, his hand flying up to the spot where the disk had just been. “That _hurt_.”

Kara grimaces and reaches for the shower curtain, using the corner to dab away the thirium currently running down his cheek. “I’m sorry, I know it hurts. I tried to be quick about it.”

Connor looks down at her, and there’s something new shining in his eyes. He doesn’t look upset or conflicted anymore, in fact, he looks relieved. Like he’d been freed from a cage.

“Kara, you’re fine.” He gives her a small, nervous smile as she tries to wipe away the last bit of thirium at his temple. His hands awkwardly wrap around her, and for a moment Kara isn’t sure of what he’s doing. It’s a hug, she realizes. Or at least an attempt at one. She lets the curtain fall from her hands as she slides her arms around his warm chest, one hand rubbing his back gently. It’s nice, Kara thinks. She enjoys moments like this.

Connor holds her close for a moment, just enjoying the comfort. Then he pulls away, his hands resting on her shoulders. Kara almost mourns the sudden lack of warmth. “Thank you.” He whispers, a soft smile gracing his features.

“Thank you, Kara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a flashback, if that wasn't clear.
> 
> Kara's totally that person that loves giving out hugs.


	5. Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *YELLS LOUDLY*  
> i'M BACK FROM THE DEAD, MY LOVELY READERS!!!  
> Sorry this took so long, I'm the ultimate procrastinator and life's been getting in the way recently. So as a repayment for my ridiculously long break, here's a long chapter where I make my promise of a Christmas chapter reality.

They trudge through the snow covered streets, Alice clutching onto Kara’s hand with chilled fingers. Connor walks on the other side of the girl, his watchful eyes looking for any sort of danger. It’s Christmas, and to celebrate they’ve saved up enough money to buy a few nights in a motel. She’s thankful for the needed break from shelters and newly-abandoned homes. Alice will finally have a decent bed to sleep in, and Kara would get to wash their clothes. 

Kara lets out the faintest of huffs as they walk. She never thought that she’d be fantasizing about doing laundry, but here she is, itching for a chance to wash Alice’s increasingly dirty jeans.

Connor looks over at her quizzically, but Kara shakes her head.  _ It’s nothing,  _ she mouths. The other android nods and takes Alice’s free hand.

They walk down the street a little further. Kara looks down at Alice, who’s wrapped her little face up in a scarf to keep warm. All that Kara can see of the girl's face is a very red nose and two wide brown eyes.

“Hey, Rudolph.” Kara says, smiling down at the girl. “We’re almost to the motel, don’t worry.”

It takes just a few more minutes until they see the place, its neon lights buzzing in the dark. Kara can see the warm glow of the lobby from here, and she picks up the pace. The snow outside has started coming down harder, and she can see Alice shivering. Kara tries to ignore the “No androids” projected so clearly onto the door.

The bell above the door rings out as they step inside, the warmth of the indoors seeping beneath her silicone skin. Christmas music plays softly from a radio on the counter. The lobby isn’t much, with a small christmas tree sitting in one corner, its glowing branches decorated with garland and baubles. Alice’s eyes light up at the sight of it, and she drops both Connor and Kara’s hands to run over and look at it.

“Hello,” The clerk says, eyes barely flickering up from her cell phone. “Welcome to Sweet Rest Motel. What do you need?”

Connor steps forward, his human relations programming kicking in. “Hello, we’d like a room for three nights, please.”

The clerk nods, straightening her glasses. “A hundred and twenty dollars.” Kara digs in her pocket for the money, internally sighing when she hands the dollar bills over. She and Connor had worked so hard for that money, and now it was gone in an instant. At least they’d be warm for Christmas, Kara reminds herself. They had a place to clean up and cook food for Alice, even if it was just convenience store ramen. 

The clerk’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts. The woman slides a sleek-looking tablet across the counter. “Sign here with your name and address.”

Kara takes the pen, internally scanning a list of most common names. She quickly scribbles down the name “Hannah Johnson” and a random out of state address down onto the surface of the tablet. 

The woman behind the counter glances up from the tablet and to the two of them. “Got any photo ID?”

Connor’s hands fly up to his pockets, tapping them with a sort of urgency. A look of panic creeps onto his face. “Oh no.” He looks at Kara, his eyes wide. “Babe, please tell me you brought your ID.”

Kara’s brow furrows. Babe? When had Connor ever started calling her  _ babe _ ? She locks eyes with him, and there’s an intensity in them that she instantly realizes is a  _ trust me  _ sort of look. 

“Uh…” She says, reaching into her pockets, pretending to be surprised when nothing appears. “No, I don’t think I brought mine. I’m sorry.”

Connor swears under his breath and looks at the clerk, apologetic. “Ma’am, I am so sorry. We live out of state, and earlier today we got a call from Henry Ford Hospital saying that my mother had this awful fall, so we took a taxi to get here, and I guess we were in such a rush to get to Detroit that we must have forgotten to pack our-” 

The clerk holds up her hand, cutting off Connor’s rambling. “Okay, okay, I didn’t need your life story.” She says with a harassed sigh. “ You’re in room A9. Just take your key.” 

She hands the keycard over to an immensely thankful looking Connor. He slips his hand into Kara’s, thanking the clerk as they move away from the desk.

Kara shoots a glance at Alice, who’s still looking at the tree with a look of wonder.  “Alice, sweetie, come on. We’re going now.” The little girl looks like she can barely drag herself away from the ornaments, but complies, fingers moving to grab Kara’s free hand.

As soon as they’re outside the lobby and walking towards the rooms on the bottom floor, Connor lets her hand slip from his. “Apologies if the hand-holding was unwanted. I thought it would help solidify the act.”

Kara’s surprised to find that she didn’t really mind that he’d held her hand. She almost misses slight pressure of his touch. “Connor, I didn’t know you were able to like like that.” Her sentence ends on the slightest upward hint, almost a question but not quite.

The other android shrugs and keeps his voice low. “It’s part of my programming. As a hostage negotiator, I was built to lie to people.”

It’s at that moment that Alice yawns, and Connor looks at her with a raised brow. “Alice, are you tired?”

She nods her head, a mittened hand coming up to adjust her scarf. Even her eyes look sleepy, although Kara can’t blame her. Connor holds out his arms, a soft smile on his face. “Would you like me to carry you?”

Alice mumbles a soft “Thank you” and lets herself be scooped up by the taller android. Kara can’t help but smile at the image of the three of them, a tiny little family.

Family.

The word sends an odd shock through her body.  _ Family.  _ She supposed that yes, Connor might be considered family. He’d been nothing short of a father figure for Alice ever since he’d joined them. And she considered him a dear friend. (Although friend wasn’t the right word- she felt something strong for Connor, something stronger than friendship, but she simply couldn’t describe it.) They stuck together, worked together, helped raise Alice and give her as normal of a life as they could manage while on the run.

Yes. Connor was family.

Something glows happy in her chest as they walk through the parking lot. They come up to their room, and Connor shifts Alice in his grip and fumbles with the keycard. Alice simply yawns and rests her head on his shoulder. That soft smile never leaves Connor’s face, even as he swipes the keycard and pushes the door open. 

The room is decent, with two double beds and a flat-screen TV. It’s older, but seems to be in working condition. In fact, that’s what the whole room feels like. Some part of Kara’s quite certain the room hasn’t been majorly updated since the early 2000’s. 

Connor sets Alice down onto the chair that sits by a small desk in the corner. Alice blinks tiredly and rubs her eyes, and Kara can see how her gaze flickers longingly over to the beds.

Connor notices and crouches down to Alice’s level. “Don’t worry, you’ll be able to get in bed in no time. I’m just gonna check for bedbugs, alright?”

Kara steps over and tickles Alice’s sides, eliciting a small fit of giggles from the girl. “You don’t want the bedbugs to gobble you up, right?”

Alice lets out another string of giggles, legs curling up in an attempt to ward Kara’s hands away. “N-no!” She says between gasps for air.

Connor grins crookedly and straightens. “It’ll just be a second, little one.”

Kara moves over into the bathroom, just to check it out. In terms of style, it doesn’t differ much from the rest of the room, with the standard sink, toilet, and shower that’s present in every motel.

She emerges to see Connor folding the blankets back onto the bed with the smooth efficiency that he seemed to do everything with. “All clear?”

“All clear.” He turns towards Alice, who’s nodding off in the chair. “The bed’s all yours, Alice.”

Alice jumps up, grinning, but gets pulled into the bathroom by Kara. The girl groans, tilting her face back up to the ceiling. Kara makes a sympathetic face. “I know, I know. But you can’t wear your clothes to bed, sweetie.”

It’s a bit of a struggle to get Alice’s day clothes off and her nightgown on, but Kara manages. She tucks the little girl into bed, smoothing down her hair and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight, Alice. Merry Christmas.”

The girl smiles and snuggles deeper into the blankets. Kara glances at Connor, who’s staring at Alice with that fond, peaceful look again.

She nudges his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. When he looks at her, she nods towards Alice.

His eyes widen ever so slightly, and he touches his chest, as if to say, “ _ Me? _ ”

She nods and watches as he takes a deep breath and moves over Alice, whose eyes are closed, her breathing deep and calm.

“Merry Christmas, Little One. Sleep well.” He hesitates for just a moment before pressing his lips to the top of her head, something that he’d seen Kara do so many times before. 

Alice stirs ever so slightly at the sound of Connor’s voice. “Merry Christmas, Connor.” She whispers, her words soft and slurred with sleep.

Kara and Connor had agreed on not getting gifts for each other. It was kind of a waste, they thought, and being alive and with Alice was enough.

But when she sees how Connor’s eyes light up at Alice’s words, Kara’s sure that this is the best gift she could’ve gotten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if this chapter is kind of all over the place in style, I've been writing only small chunks of it at a time. Hope you enjoyed, and as always, comments and constructive criticism is always appreciated!


End file.
